The Death Project
by braintumorseibutsusen
Summary: When Tony Stark hacks into the SHIELD mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew SHIELD was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace the so called 'death' project back to its lab, they uncover a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: When Tony Stark hacks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace to so called 'death' project back to its lab, they find a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.

Disclaimer: Don't own or claim to own Avengers or Harry Potter.

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers stood outside the door to where the death project was housed. While Tony was usually game to just hack his way into secrety information, this little project, _or big project_, Tony's mind supplied, only had a mentioning of it on the main server before he was bounced off. He had tracked down where the missing information lead, and who knew?, Fury wasn't an idiot after all. All of the information was on a server _disconnected_ from anything, sitting in the middle of a room that both Tony and Steve were unwilling to break into to get. (Well, Steve had been unwilling and Tony didn't have the strength to oppose him without his suit so they had left it.)

However, what Tony did discover in the files that he could access was that project 45-120-8 was housed in the Helicarrier, right below the central command room. Tony had figured that Fury's office would be down there, but maybe the man didn't have an office at all. He hadn't expected to be standing awkwardly outside of a room with Steve, a room exactly like the one Loki was currently housed in except that the windows were all blacked out.

"Maybe we shouldn't be here…" Steve muttered under his breath and Tony shot him an irritated glare from where he was working on decrypting the lock.

"We're already this far, Cap. Don't tell me you'd rather _not_ know. After all the weapons that looked like HYDRA's and this ominous sounding 'death project.' Even you can't not be curious."

Steve looked even more uncomfortable. "But-"

"Aha!" Tony exclaimed, ignoring the Captain. "Those SHIELD bastards are no match for…" He trailed off as the door slid open and revealed the interior of the circular room. "Well, at least now we know why the windows were blacked out. This would attract _way_ too much attention."

Steve silently agreed as they stepped into the room, the door sliding shut with a quiet _whoosh _behind them. Like stepping into some surreal toy store, piles of stuffed animals towered to the ceiling- mainly teddy bears, but there were what looked like owls and little stuffed golden birds randomly injected into the mass.

"What do they plan to do? Make people suffocate to death under these gigantic piles of children's toys?"

Steve picked one up and held it to his face, sniffing slightly. "Maybe some sort of explosive in the toy?"

Tony grunted noncommittally and gently took the toy out of Steve's hand and threw it back on the pile. "Maybe." He edged further into the room. "Or maybe it's a decoy." He glared slightly at the Captain who had brushed past him to stand in front of the largest pile of owls and yellow birds. "After all, _you_ didn't want to find out-"

Steve whirled around. "_Maybe_ we should trust Fury-" He stopped at the look on Tony's face. The scruffy man's face was pale and his eyes were wide as he stared behind Steve, but his mouth was quirked into a sudden awkward smile as if he had been caught off guard. Tony pulled Steve back and around, and Steve, expecting trouble was ready, but there was nothing there.

"It's okay," called Tony in a forced-friendly voice and at the look Steve shot him turned the fake smile into a grimace. "It's a kid," Tony hissed out through his teeth at Steve who turned back towards the pile just in time to see the top of a head of messy black hair disappear around the corner.

"It's okay, really," Steve called out this time and slowly lowered himself to the floor, dragging Tony down along the way. "We're not going to hurt you." There was a moment of silence and then the hair peaked back around the edge, followed by a pair of the greenest eyes that either of them had seen in their entire life. The rest of the boy appeared, hidden partially behind a huge white owl the boy clutched to his chest like it was a lifeline.

"That's a nice owl you have there," Tony commented idly after a moments more silence and stillness. Steve nearly rolled his eyes at the other man's inability to stay quiet for more than a minute, but the small, shy smile that appeared on the boys face changed his mind.

"Her name is Hedwig," the boy volunteered and came completely around the side of the tower of stuffed toys, stopping a couple feet from them.

"Hedwig- where did you hear that name at? I've never heard of it." When the boy seemed to fall in on himself, Steve quickly amended. "It's very pretty."

The boy brightened again and took a step closer. "I read it in a book once!" He ducked his head with a blush at the exclamation. Tony's brow furrowed and a small frown appeared on his face. The kid looked small enough to be three or four- there's no way he was reading at that age.

"Saint Hedwig is the patron saint of women or something, right?" Tony asked, as if not expecting an answer.

The boy's smile fell a little, but before he could correct himself, the boy came and sat on the floor beside them. "And the patron saint of the death of children. …Are you here to try and kill me too?" Dark green eyes stared up at them, suddenly and inexplicably old and weary, and they sat frozen under the weight of his question. As if at once, both of them were hit with a realization. This _boy _was the 'death project'!


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: When Tony Stark hacks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace to so called 'death' project back to its lab, they uncover a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.

Disclaimer: Don't own or claim to own Avengers or Harry Potter.

_Are you here to try and kill me too?" Dark green eyes stared up at them, suddenly and inexplicably old and weary, and they sat frozen under the weight of his question._

"What?" was Tony's blank reaction at the same time as Steve's emphatic, "No!" The boy gave them a small, genuine smile and buried his face in the owl's back.

"Thanks," came the mumbled voice and as much as either of them wanted to protect the kid at that moment, to maybe even give him a simple _hug,_ fate only gave them a two second window before everything went to shit. They had no warning before the only door to the room slid open revealing Fury and Coulson. It took a millisecond for Fury's face to change from calm to shock and fear then rage and for Coulson to pull his boss to the ground as he saw Harry.

"Stark! Captain!" Fury whisper-yelled the second later, leaning around the pile of teddy bears with a gun in his hand. "Get back here!"

"What?" Tony repeated blankly, looking back at the two SHIELD agents.

"He's just a kid!" Steve bellowed, and Tony felt like his world just spiraled out of control. This boy _was_ the death project, if Fury was acting like the boy was going to blow up any second. Steve's mind was clearly thinking along the same lines and had stood up, putting his body in between the boy and SHIELD. "We saw the HYDRA weapons- but this! He's just a kid!"

Fury's face went from anger to outrage and wiped clean of emotion again. "Captain, you are out of line." His words were sharp and he held the gun up higher. Steve startled, shock on his face as Fury pulled back the lock on the gun and aimed.

"Hey, wait, wait!" Tony jumped up, his hands held up placating between Steve and Fury as Steve got into a battle-ready stance. "I thought you needed us for the Avengers!" He exclaimed, and at that second Fury pulled the trigger. A shot rang out, metal meeting flesh in a sort of sick _pop_ and Tony stared at Fury in disbelief, afraid to turn around. All the time and effort to save Captain America, to get him used to the 21st century, the subtle training for him to be the head of the Avengers Initiative- all for Fury to shoot him?

"Stark!" Tony's eyes snapped to Fury's face. "You need to get over here."

"What? You just shot the Cap'!" He took step forward, but a hand tugging at his shirt stopped him.

"It wasn't me. It was the kid," Steve whispered, his face pale. The hand that grasped Tony's shirt was slowly pulling him backwards as Steve backed away from the kid. There was something off and eerie about the child that made goose bumps jump down the base of his skull.

The kid had dropped his stuffed owl and was staring at his hand with a peculiar expression on his face. Blood dripped down his arm and his hand was a mess of destroyed flesh, muscle and bone, but it was like he didn't feel it. Tony took a step towards the kid, almost fighting when Steve kept him back. Tony realized why exactly there was still a hand on his arm when slowly and suddenly a cold breeze swept through the room, gathering with more intensity around the kid. Ice started to form at the kid's feet, and Tony and Steve shuddered when a skeleton's hand reached out from _nowhere_ and placed a hand on the child's shoulder. A black-cloaked figure appeared,_ Death_, his mind unhelpfully supplied, and suddenly the stuffed toys were exploding in puffs of cotton and buttons around them.

Tony heard yelling, but he couldn't look away from the sudden red eyes of _Death_ and the red eyes of the boy _or not a boy?_, each burning with such intensity that it was making his stomach curl and the arc reactor burn with a hellish fire where it sat in his chest. It _hurt_. More than being tortured in Afghanistan, more than the loss of his father figure, more so when Pepper left him… _Pepper left him? When was this?_

For a moment, time seem suspended as Tony watched the kid's hand go from so much flesh and bone and blood into a swirling stitch of muscle as the hand repaired itself in front of his eyes. The blood that had dripped down his arm and onto the floor and the owl was turning black even as new red blood gushed out of his hand due to the reforming flesh. Tony was frozen. Who was this kid? Green-turned-red eyes glanced at him emotionlessly before looking back over his shoulder at _Death_. The last thing Tony saw was the other skeletal hand cover the child's eyes and more cotton drifting through the cold wind before he found himself picked up and dragged out of the room.

The door closed with a snick behind them and Steve dropped him unceremoniously on the ground. All of them were gasping for breath as if they had just had the wind, or maybe the life, sucked out of them. Steve, Fury, and Coulson seemed to be okay. But the kid… Tony turned back towards the door and made a move to stand up, but collapsed as a fiery pain shot through his chest. Gasping in agony, he clutched at his shirt, pulling it away. Steve was by his side in a second and Tony caught his worried visage before he doubled over again.

"What's wrong? Stark- Stark, look at me. What's wrong?" Steve said, fluttering his hands over the other man's chest, afraid to further hurt the only one of the Avengers that could truly be hurt.

"Reactor…" Tony gasped out and Steve was tearing open his shirt while Coulson called for emergency medical. Tony made a pained sound as Steve accidentally brushed his hands against his chest and Steve pulled back sharply, only touching him again to lower the other man to the floor.

"What's wrong with him?" Steve demanded of Fury, but the dark man was silent, staring down at the man who, under the Iron Man suit was as vulnerable as any normal human. "What's wrong with him!" Steve yelled this time, but then the medical team was there and taking an unconscious Tony away on a medical stretcher followed by Coulson, leaving Fury and Steve standing across from each other.

They were silent and the only sound that could be heard was slight exploding noises from within the chamber and the whistle of cold wind under the door. Fury stared at Steve in contemplation, and then motioned for the other to follow him as they swept away to the lab Tony and Bruce had been working in not a half-hour before.

"I don't know what's wrong with Stark," Fury started, going silent as they walked through the central control room, "but it has something to do with Harry."

"Harry- that's the kid? Why'd you have him in that room anyway?"

Fury gave the Captain a look, but Steve pursued. "You've kept secrets for far too long to allow me to want to trust you anymore, Director. If I can't trust you to tell me about this kid, this Harry, then how can I trust anything you say a-about the HYDRA weapons, or, or what's happening to-"

Fury stopped suddenly and Steve almost bumped into him. The dark SHIELD agent looked pained for a second and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to have to explain everything to you and Stark twice, so here's the short version." Steve stood up straighter and Fury glared at him with his one good eye. "Harry is a danger to the world, which is why he's locked up on the Helicarrier in the first place."

Steve opened his mouth to protest _he's just a kid_, but Fury was faster. "And don't be fooled. Harry might look like a child, act like a child, hell, even play with those damned stuffed animals of his as if he were a kid, but _do not be fooled_. Do not return to the room. I'll brief you and Stark when he recovers, but only the two of you." Here, Fury's glare increased and he seemed to loom over the Captain. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone else-" He let his threat hang and Steve nodded slowly, his mind running around itself. As much as he disliked Tony's attitude, now would be the perfect time to have him around. There was _something_ that was niggling at the back of his mind about Fury's explanation, but Steve couldn't put his finger on it.

Fury nodded sharply in return and returned to stalking down the corridor towards the lab. What he found there was Natasha and Steve Banner, both in a heated argument that stopped as soon as they opened the door. Unfortunately, this was the day that fate was going to screw all of them over. Before Fury could ask what was going on and why the fuck Banner was holding Loki's scepter, there was a large explosion, blowing up the side of the lab and knocking Natasha and Bruce over the side.

"Would everyone _please _stop blowing up my fucking Helicarrier!" Fury exclaimed as he ran out of the room. Steve remained in place for a second, calling to make sure both Natasha and Bruce were okay before deciding he needed to get Tony in his suit, injured or not. A beastly roar followed him down the corridor and Steve grimaced as he realized the Hulk was now on the loose.

Everything was going to shit. Tony in the infirmary, Natasha and Bruce probably fighting and hopefully not killing each other, Thor no-where to be found and the mysterious child Death Project in the front of the ship. Yeah, not a good day to be head of the Avengers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary**: When Tony Stark hacks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace to so called 'death' project back to its lab, they uncover a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own or claim to own Avengers or Harry Potter.

_**AN**__: Guessing that a bunch of people dropped the story based on the lower review and hit count. However, to those that reviewed last chapter and stayed- thanks. I know my writing is terrible, but the fact that you reviewed this story gives me encouragement to pursue this plot and improve my writing- at least until interest in it fades. Thanks again. (Also- to those who post questions… Do you really want me to respond or are they just rhetorical because you're waiting for the next chapter?)_

When Loki had first arrived on the Helicarrier, his goal had been simple: get the mortal scientist to devolve into his beast form, then the monster would do the rest to knock the flying fortress out of the air. Oh, he was impressed with it, had even thought that it was quite ingenious really, these mortals, to invent something that never had to touch the ground that wasn't already airborne by nature. And while he was sure that this takeover of _Miðgarðr _would fail (only because the plan dictated to him by the Other was faulty to begin with and would never hold up in the long-run), he wasn't going to make it _easy_ for these Avengers to win. Where was the fun in that?

Besides- he was on this broken realm for something else entirely. Eventually he would rule this world, but now was not the time. The plan was too hurriedly put together, the forces not strong enough (Chitauri, really? A slice to the back of the neck would kill the majority of them in one hit), and with his own undermining of the 'master plan', the Other would fail. The Mad Titan would kill the Other, and come after him. But then _he_ would have the Tesseract and as long as the Infinity Gauntlet stayed out of reach of the Mad Titan then the most powerful being in the Nine Realms would be yours-truly. Loki smirked to himself, turning towards the cameras just so they could catch a glimpse of his expression. Let them worry about what he was planning, when in reality, _the plan was already in action._ These stupid Avengers thought they were thwarting his plans to take over the world. Loki's smirk grew. They were just helping him along.

He would be under _no one's _thumb. Not his faux-father, not Thor, and especially not the Mad Titan who was passing himself off as The Other's master. The Mad Titan, whom some called the Eternal One, would fall before his scepter and finally join Death in Her embrace. Loki would personally escort him there. And there was something on this planet that was going to help him gain that power so that he never had to bow to another again. Soon, the Nine Realms would be under his power and there would be no one able to stop him.

Snapping out of his unconsciousness, Tony gasped and threw himself from the infirmary bed. His heart was beating too fast and the high-pitched warning of his impending cardiac arrest sent the medical personnel in a tizzy, trying to gently drag him back to bed. He pushed them away, tearing the sensors off his chest just as Steve burst into the infirmary.

"Tony!" came the startled exclamation from a crazed Steve.

"Good to see you too, Cap'," Tony groaned, pulling the needle from his arm. He floor rocked and tilted under his feet as another explosion went off in the distance. He threw the needle to the side and started to push past the Captain when the floor again tilted under his feet, though entirely by his body's design. Steve was at his side in the next instant, gripping his upper arm in a gentle hold and pulling the shaking body to his side.

"You shouldn't be up so soon," the blonde gently scolded, pulling the recently awakened Tony along with him out the corridor, both ignoring the angry screams of the medical personnel as they totally disregarded any sort of instruction to stay within safe reach of a defibrillator.

Tony smirked up at him, a slight tinge of green tinting his pale face. "Says you as you drag me down the corridor."

"Unprotestingly," Steve muttered and Tony flashed a small grin.

"I'm guessing Loki's entourage is attacking and the Helicarrier is falling out of the sky?" Tony said unnecessarily as they found their way to the Iron Man suit.

Steve nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth again, he'd say something stupid and emotional like, _Let me take you back to the infirmary, you look like you're about to die, we don't need you_, except that would be a lie to himself and an insult to Tony. They needed Iron Man, sure, but more than that, they needed Tony and his _brain_. If anyone could figure out what was going, who needed to go where, and how they were all going to live through this, it would be the insufferable genius.

The bright glow from Tony's chest as the Iron Man suit came online allowed Steve to breathe a little easier and slip into his Captain America self. JARVIS would keep track of Tony's vitals because he was worried and still had no idea what happened to Tony in the few seconds he'd been staring at Harry before they'd vacated the exploding teddy-bear room.

"All right, Cap', tell me what's going on."

Steve, still supporting Tony even in the Iron Man suit as they made their way from the room, explained the best he could that Natasha was fighting for her life against the Hulk, Thor had continued to be MIA- though Steve personally thought that if he was anywhere it would be where Loki was- Barton was presumably on the base making life difficult for SHIELD, and Fury was in the control room.

"And the kid?"

Steve gave Tony a blank stare. "You're worried about him when he _probably_ just tried to kill you and we're falling out of the sky?" he said, incredulous that the man was even thinking about Harry at a time like this. He wasn't going to say there was a part of him that was worried for the boy too because he really didn't need to be chasing a crippled Tony around the Helicarrier at a time like this.

"That's exactly why I'm worried. We're falling out of the sky and we still don't know why Loki let himself be captured in the first place. The Death Project might be the reason why and the kid is the answer!"

"We can't go back to get him."

"Well, why the fuck not? If the Helicarrier is doomed to fall into the ocean-"

"Fury's orders. He said Harry was fooling everyone with his child form and was a danger to everyone on the planet." Steve could just feel the incredulous stare from Tony through the mask. "Those were his words. _'Harry is a danger to the world' _and that's why he's locked up on the Helicarrier to begin with." _Supposedly_, his mind traitorously snarked, sounding startlingly like Tony in that second.

"He's a kid, goddamnit! Probably scared out of his mind right now because we're falling out of the fucking sky and he's trapped in a room and we still don't know the reason why!" Tony's gravelly voice yelled through the mask, and at this simple exertion, leaned more heavily on Steve to catch his breath.

"And what you can't seem to get through your thick-headed skull is that you almost died because of the kid!" Steve yelled into Tony's face even as he was supporting the other man to keep from falling over. "To go back is to indulge in the kind of self-destructive behavior-"

"_Ahem. Gentlemen, if you could keep the Helicarrier from falling out of the sky by restarting the engine, now would be the time."_ Coulson's voice came through the com in the corridor around them and Steve had the grace to look abashed. "_Don't worry about the child, Mr. Stark. I have him with me and I won't let anything happen to him."_

The com cut out, leaving the two Avengers to stand awkwardly in the middle of the corridor.

"So… you with me on the engine?" Tony asked Steve, pulling himself upright and swaying as he fought not to keel over.

Steve gave a terse nod and they both made their way quickly to the downed engine.

"You're scared of me, aren't you?" The small hand was warm in his own cool one, but Coulson couldn't feel it for the ice that ran through his veins at the benign comment. He turned to face Harry, but the boy was looking away, frowning slightly. The other hand, still loosely clutching the black-blood splattered owl to his chest, was relaxed. It was as if the total havoc and destruction Harry had displayed earlier had just been a daydream. A very violent and terrifying daydream of flying eye-buttons and cotton stuffing. As though the child had never been shot in the hand by the Director's exploding round. As though the boy wasn't a boy, but something that had to be hidden away from the world- a monster.

The agent wanted to deny that he felt any more frightened of Harry than he did of a small bunny rabbit, but he couldn't. Having seen the boy in action even at this stage of life was frightening. The power he had, uncontrolled and chaotic as it was, reminded Coulson deeply of Loki most times and that was a little scary in and of itself. _A child…_

"It's okay, really." Harry's mouth smiled brightly up at him, but his eyes were thin green slits. Coulson knew that tactic, if your eyes couldn't see the world, the world couldn't see the pain and grief in your eyes. Coulson felt sad that he had put that expression on the child's face.

"I know that I'm scary whenever Death comes around," Harry continued and Coulson felt as if a lead weight dropped into his stomach at the confession, "but I really don't mean to be. It just happens sometimes and I can't control when Death comes."

The Helicarrier rocked underneath them followed by a roar from the Hulk as the other probably destroyed another piece of the flying aircraft, but Harry didn't seem to notice. Coulson barely noticed himself.

"Why do you think you get scary when Death comes, Harry?" Coulson asks lightly, but is consciously aware of where his ray gun sits against his side. He has never known Harry to talk openly and without reserve to anyone and is wary _why_.

Harry throws Coulson a secretive smile, one that looks mischievous on his young face, except for the dark green eyes that seem to be older than time itself. "I'll tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone else, okay?" The agent nodded, but Harry frowned and stared right through him. "Pinkie promise, okay? Not even the patch man that comes with you to visit me sometimes. I don't like him."

Harry let go of his hand to hold out his pinkie and Coulson grasped it in his own, secretly crossing his fingers against the ray gun. While he would never purposely deceive the black-haired child, there were just some things that shouldn't be kept a secret. Crossies were the only thing that nullified the pinkie promise.

Keeping a straight face, and still grasping the taller man's pinkie in his own, Harry leaned in closer. "I get scary when Death comes…" Harry paused for emphasis, his green eyes so dark they looked black under the light of the room they found themselves in, "because _I am the Master of Death._" The lights flickered for a second and Coulson thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, but there was nothing there.

Harry continued to look at him with those huge eyes and the serious face, waiting for some kind of reaction, but with nothing forthcoming other than an earnest stare from the agent, as if _that's it? you're something called the 'Master of Death'?_, Harry sighed and let go of Coulson's finger. Minutes passed with them standing by each other's side in silence and Coulson had the distinct feeling that he was missing something big, as if Harry was possibly telling him something encoded with the 'Master of Death' confession, but to the agent, it was just convoluted. There was no such thing as a 'Master of Death'… Was there?

Harry made no move to grab Coulson's hand again, but when the explosions came nearer and nearer to them, Coulson grabbed Harry's hand. "We need to move again."

Harry sighed in the exasperated way kids do, but allowed himself to be led out of the room into the adjoining corridor to be led off again, away from the violence that permeated the ship. They walked along for a couple minutes, Coulson checking around every corner for, what seemed to Harry to be some imaginary foe. It was only after they started slowing down as the explosion sounds drifted further away that Harry caught a glimpse of green and gold out of the corner of his eye, down the corridor they had just come from.

A man, tall with golden horns curving out of a helmet, stood at the end of the hallway, a long, glowing staff held in his hands. Was he one of the Avengers that Coulson had so readily talked about? The mysterious Captain America, or the snarky Iron Man, or was this the god-like Thor? Harry offered a small smile towards the man, but in the next second, he was snatched backwards and hid behind Coulson. The long gun that his friend had been lugging around was suddenly pointed at the tusk-man. So… maybe he shouldn't have smiled at the man?

"Loki." Coulson said. The Æsir glanced briefly at the agent, but his eyes were drawn to Harry and Harry couldn't help but stare at the other man behind Coulson's legs. There was something strangely familiar about this tall man who wore green and gold.

"SHIELD lackey. Who is your friend?" The god smiled with a little bit of teeth at Harry and Harry smiled back shyly. He felt Death at his back, but he didn't understand why when the other man seemed so nice, even if Coulson _was_ pointing his really big gun at the other man.

"I'm Harry!" he piped up, only to shyly duck back again when Coulson took a step backwards to either fend Harry off from talking to the golden tusk man, or to fend off the now blank-faced golden tusk-man from Harry.

"Harry…"

"I would suggest you leave now, Loki. We had this gun made after your creation leveled that town in New Mexico. Even I don't know what it does."

Loki took a step forward, but was blasted back through the wall when Coulson pulled the trigger. Harry gasped, but Death's skeleton hand on his shoulder kept him from moving forward. And in the next second, Harry understood why. Loki reappeared behind Coulson and before either of them knew it, the sharp point of the spear was sticking out the other side of Coulson's chest. Harry stumbled back, green eyes wide, the floor and rubble around him forming ice as the shock of Death about to take his _friend_ seized his heart.

"No!" he cried out and rushed forward, pushing the golden tusk-man to grab at Coulson as he fell. Loki took a step back, wondering where all the sudden cold and wind had come from.

"No! Couls!" Harry grasped at the front of the other's shirt and ice formed along where-ever his hands touched, instantly freezing the blood that had been falling from the hole in the other man's chest. "You can't die!" he cried.

A dark-cloaked figure appeared at Coulson's side. "Leave him alone!" screamed the boy, and Loki knew. The dark figured disappeared and even as Coulson fell unconscious, Loki _knew_ that the other man would live. Because the boy, this seemingly innocuous _child_ had just sent away Death herself.

Loki's eyes were wide. Here it was. The key.

He didn't have any more time to contemplate before shots rang out and he was hit in the chest with multiple bullets as the dark, one-eyed man and his lackey's shot at him from across the way. Loki sneered at them and blasted them backwards with a wave of his staff before disappearing out of the Helicarrier onto the transport aircraft waiting for him outside.

As they flew away, even though the monstrosity that was the sky fortress still was afloat and had not been brought down as he'd expected, all was not lost. He grinned a sharp grin to himself and laughed lightly. Oh no, not a bad deal at all. After all, it wasn't everyday one found the key to ruling the universe. He just needed to wait for a time when he could come back and take the boy away. And that time wouldn't be long now…


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary**: When Tony Stark hacks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace to so called 'death' project back to its lab, they uncover a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own or claim to own Avengers or Harry Potter.

Chapter Four

The next time Steve saw the kid was when they returned to the infirmary.

Steve had run, carrying Tony who was devoid of his helmet and as pale as milk, looking like death warmed over. Bursting into the infirmary, doctors were already running around in a controlled panic, shouting out orders to prep for surgery for those that had been injured during the fighting. The sheer activity in the room was dizzying to Steve and he felt helpless with the dying man in his arms to even reach out and grab one of the running nurses and get some help for his friend.

"Help!" Steve choked out, but the others just passed him by, anxious to get to everyone else who was injured.

Even Fury was in the room, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around the back of his head and an ice-pack pressed closely to it. However, as soon as the Director noticed the two in the doorway, he started barking out orders, and Steve could only feel relief as the pale Iron Man was gently lifted out of his arms and taken from the room through a door marked in red lights 'Emergency Room.' Another nurse came by and asked Steve something, but he waved her off, choosing to wander back out of the room over to one of the benches against the wall and flop onto it, holding his head wearily in his hands.

Everything was crazy. That stupid man, _stupid you_, for physically spinning the turbines, _for not being within reach of the handle in time_, and then having the gall to be in the way when someone was shooting at you! _For not being able to protect your teammate. _A wave of exhaustion hit him like nothing he'd ever felt before and the thought of going back to his room crossed his mind for just a second before a steel wall of resolve snapped into place. _That man saved all of our lives, and you want to go back to your room and _sleep_? Buck up, you pathetic excuse for a soldier- you can at least stay to make sure he's going to _live_. _

Steve's hands scrunched against his face, feeling so ashamed. What was he even doing here? _Tony _was the one who'd been injured and still went out and saved all their hides because _I wasn't capable. I don't deserve to be here, defending the world._

A person stood in front of him, but thinking it was the nurse again, simple mumbled for her to go away. The person didn't leave and small hands started prying his own apart until a pair of dark green eyes and a hesitant smile met his weary blue ones.

"Harry," he startled and the small smile widened.

"Don't worry Mr. Stripes," Harry said in a small voice, his hands still clutching the other man's hands. The toy stuffed owl lay at their feet and Steve was surprised he let the thing go for even a second. "I scolded Death for trying to take the funny beard man away, so he'll be okay now. He won't try and take your friend away for a while."

Harry's eyes darted to the side for a second and he tilted his head, as if he was hearing something that Steve was not. A bright, innocent smile was directed at Steve and the other man had trouble breathing for a second. He wondered if this is what it felt like when your kid smiled at you. Whatever Fury said, whatever tricks he said Harry had up his sleeve, he felt the need to protect Harry.

"Death said sorry. I decided Death needed to give the funny-beard man a present instead." Harry leaned conspiratorially in, eyes bright with a sly smile on his face. "All that icky metal that was in his body is gone now. That's why he was so sick when you left my room. I didn't have a chance to take all of it out." Harry pouted for a second, but then his face brightened. "But he should be okay now!"

His smile widened at Steve's shocked face. If what Harry said was true and Tony was going to be alright… but how could he do that? What could a five year old do that even the great Tony Stark, genius extraordinaire, wasn't able to fix? And what was that about Death?

"Harry!" Fury's sharp voice ripped through Steve's thoughts and he unconsciously sat up straighter. Harry turned back around with narrowed eyes, his hands leaving Steve's to clench into fists in front of him.

"Captain, you okay?" Fury asked, but his gaze never left Harry's darkening face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He hesitated. "How's…?"

"Still in surgery," Fury answered and Steve slumped slightly. No matter what Harry said (_though he did heal his own hand when Fury blew it to pieces, _Steve thought), he wouldn't be sure that the other man would be safe from dangers until the doctors said he was going to be okay.

"Harry… Come. We're-" Fury started, walking towards Steve and the black-haired child.

"No!" Harry yelled back, stomping his foot on the ground and Fury stopped. Ice swept outward from his foot, cracking the floor as it swiftly expanded outward. A part of Steve's mind had to wonder how Harry was doing that. Was he some sort of mutant with ice abilities? "I don't wanna be by myself in that room anymore! You said I couldn't come out because no one would _like_ me and I couldn't make _any_ friends! But I made _two_," he held up two fingers for emphasis,_ "_since Couls became my friend! And that makes _three! _Three whole friends!" He looked smug for a second. "I _told_ you I could make friends."

Steve choked back a grin at the look on Fury's face. Who would have thought a little kid would stand up to the Director of the largest network of spies on the planet? It didn't help that the little whippersnapper was adorable while doing it. Even if the kid was kind of creepy and had an active imagination (and weird powers that didn't make sense to Steve even though he'd seen a huge leap in technology, it was almost indistinguishable from the magic he'd seen the gods do), he was still a cute kid.

"If you want, I'll keep Harry here entertained for a while," Steve suggested. The look on Fury's face was indescribable.

"Captain, you _do _recall what we talked about before all of this happened, right? He is _not_ to be around other people. He is a danger to others and _will_ hurt you."

The kid's face fell and Steve could see the presence of tears being held back.

"You don't need to talk about him like he's not even here!" Steve exclaimed, standing, as a fiery rage built within his chest. Bullying was something he couldn't stand- could never stand, even way back when he was scrawny and weak. Director Fury might think he was above them all as the "boss", but it was unacceptable to talk down to the kid.

"You're out of line, Captain. You _will_ follow my instructions and stand down or you will not be on my Helicarrier for very much longer." Steve's rage grew hotter. _He_ wasn't SHIELD's soldier like Natasha or Clint. _He _was only there to help save the world from a mad god bent on taking it over and enslaving the human race. What was so special about the kid that _asking a few questions_ would knock him from the team? Even Stark, hadn't done so much to warrant a threat like that and Stark was an arrogant, narcissistic son-of-a-bitch who didn't care for anyone but himself. Steve really didn't understand Tony Stark most of the time (if not _all_ the time), but he was beginning to understand why Howard's son disliked Fury.

"You won't even give us the truth! You don't seem to have _ever _given us the truth! Why is he a danger to others? Just give me that!" Steve yelled across the hallway and nurses and a couple of the injured peeked their heads out of the infirmary doors. It was probably a good thing that Tony was in surgery at this moment because Steve really didn't want the other man to mock his disregard of 'old-time morals' when he punched Fury.

Harry's hand grasped the edge of his shirt in a crumpled grip. "It's okay."

Steve stops short because he wants to scream _It's not okay!_, but the grip loosened and Fury and Harry are halfway down the corridor before Steve realizes what's happening. _It's not okay, Harry!_ he wants to scream down the corridor as they turn the corner out of sight, but nothing escapes his throat except for a strangled breath when he spots the owl that is still lying on its side on the floor.

"Steven, my brother-in-arms, are you well?"

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews! To all those that I messaged, assuring you would know the reason for Harry's child-like appearance **_**this chapter**_**, all I can say is sorry. I wanted to update something and I've had this scene between Fury, Harry, and Steve stuck in my head for a while, so you get half a promised chapter. I probably will not update **_**The **_**Reveal chapter until Friday or Saturday because it's nearly impossible for me to get on the computer to type during the week. **

**I'll try and get replies to people who ask questions whenever I can. Thanks again for all those who reviewed longer than just **_**cool story, bro.**_** It really gets me thinking about how I want to go about writing this story. And to those who responded **_**cool story, bro**_**, thanks for reading! 3**


	5. Chapter 5 Part One

**Summary**: When Tony Stark hacks into the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe on the Helicarrier, he doesn't only find the weapons of mass destruction he already knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was building, but a project called 45-120-8. When he and Captain America trace to so called 'death' project back to its lab, they uncover a secret so large the ripples will be felt across the Nine Realms.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own or claim to own Avengers or Harry Potter.

Chapter Five, Part One: _The Reveal_

When Tony awoke, it was to Steve slouched asleep in the chair next to his bed. There were deep lines under his eyes as if he'd sustained a harsher treatment dealt to him by the world than simply the battle that had occurred yesterday and Tony hoped it didn't have anything to do with the kid situation that had started the day off messily, but based on all of their confounded dumb, dumb luck, that was probably not the case. The other man was still in Captain America uniform. The shield that his father had made lay tilted against the wall and his helmet and a stuffed owl were sat down carefully on his bed-side table. Tony felt a smile tug at his lips. Had the kid brought it for him?

The room was quiet and dark except for the light that spilled into the room from the open doorway and the bright blue light that emitted its dull hum through his chest. Whatever had happened between when he'd collapsed after starting the Helicarrier's engine and this moment had left him feeling exhausted and wanting to go back to sleep forever, but strangely, lighter than he'd felt in a while. Completely sober and he still felt this good? Something must have really screwed up his brain after he'd been sucked up and smacked out by those damned engine blades. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but… It was something _important_, he thought sleepily. … _Probably_ _something… important…._

"Tony!"

Tony's eyes snapped open and as earlier, he almost skyrocketed out of bed. Groaning, he turned over as the pain in his chest was the same, though less prominent now, and cracked a slight grin at the worry etched on the Captain's face. "Can't a guy get some rest around here?" he quipped, though his voice was low and carried only to the other man. "I've almost died twice today if it's still the day I think it is. You wake me up when I was just about to get a little shut-eye- oomph!"

Steve collided with Tony in an awkward hug that surprised both of them. Quickly standing back, Steve coughed and glared at Tony. "Don't even joke about it! You did die."

"Hmm. Guess that explains why I feel like I got ran over by a flying fortress." He paused. The look on Steve's face didn't change- in fact, looked more pained and Tony groaned as he flipped back onto his back. "Okay, not my best comeback, but, hey!-"

"Tony," Steve's quiet voice interrupted and Tony fell silent, giving Steve's drawn face a searching look. The blonde-haired man slipped quietly back into his chair, staring down at his hands.

"What happened, Cap'?" Tony was almost afraid to ask, "Who died?"

Steve looked up, started for a second before giving the bed-ridden man a half-hearted grin. "Besides yourself? Don't worry, no one's as _death_ prone as you." Tony noticed that Steve worded that in a strange way, but Steve continued without explanation. "Though it seems like Agent Coulson does have a death _wish_…" Steve mumbled that last part, but in the still room, Tony caught it.

"Coulson almost died? What'd he do? Get in a knife-fight with that bastard Loki?" At Steve's shocked and slightly chagrined face, Tony's mouth dropped open and he half raised himself to stare incredulously at Steve. "Please tell me you're joking! What'd Bruce say earlier? 'You can smell the crazy on that guy'? And Coulson knowingly went after him?" Tony flopped back down with a wince and a groan. "That idiot."

Steve shot Tony a look that the other man studiously ignored. Tony didn't need a reminder that his own actions had been pretty reckless and idiotic as well. Getting caught in the blades of an engine? Tony couldn't even remember the last time he'd done that.

"So? At least tell me he's okay and up, bossing Fury around somewhere?"

Steve nodded. "He's out of surgery, though still in the critical care unit, but he's expected to make a full recovery. If it hadn't been for Harry accidentally saving his life-"

"Harry? The kid? What'd he have to do with this?"

Steve stopped. He'd forgotten with all that had happened in the last day that the other man didn't know anything about the boy- not that _he_ really knew anything either.

"Tony… What really happened back at that room with Harry?" Steve had a troubled look on his face and stared at the other man's face intently, as if looking for some sign, though what kind of sign he didn't know, and it made Tony uncomfortable.

"What aren't you telling me, Cap'?"

"Please, Tony. I have to know. Whatever happened to you _only _happened to you. What did Harry _do_ that caused all of this?" Steve motioned to all of Tony and the bearded man laughed abruptly.

"I'm pretty sure Harry didn't cause all of _this_," he laughed, motioning to his own body. "I'm sure you know the physics of how babies are made and I don't need to explain that to you, right?"

Steve slouched, pouting, his cheeks turning a light pink. "That's not what I meant."

Tony huffed another laugh, and he relaxed some, his body sinking sleepily into the mattress. "Yeah, Cap', yeah." There was a comfortable silence and Tony reached up to gently rub the scarred skin around his Arc. He thought he'd been imagining it before, but he did feel a subtle difference in the Arc that he was attributing to feeling lighter. And the pain had lessened so whatever happened must not have had a terribly hard reaction on his body. He felt _better_.

"I guess he didn't do anything," Tony said after long last and Steve startled. Likely the other man had thought Tony had fallen back asleep. "I'm not sure what… _it_… was, but I might have just been hallucinating."

Steve's whole focus was on Tony now. Tony drifted as he recalled the red eyes and the skeleton hand that had reached out. "I thought I saw something." His barking laugh started Steve again, but it was quick and sharp as if Tony didn't believe it himself. "You know sometimes, when you think you might die and you see your life flash before your eyes? I've never been a fan of that metaphor because _my_ life never flashed before my eyes just when I'm about to go under. And if I did see something when Harry did that strange trick where his hand formed back together- you think he has some sort of regenerative healing power like Wolverine?- What I saw wasn't anything like that particular metaphor. But… If it was anything, it was more of the 'Death has come to take your soul away' kind of myth." Tony shook his head ruefully. "I don't know _what _happened, but-"

Tony caught Steve's face in the corner of his eye and stopped to turn fully towards him. The blond man was pale and his fingers made imprints in the metal of his chair where he gripped too hard.

"…What?" Tony said defensively.

"'What,' exactly." Both Tony and Steve's head's snapped towards the doorway. Fury stood there, outlined in light from the hallway and Steve and Tony were halfway out of their seat and bed respectively before they realized it was someone that wasn't going to try and kill them. Tony sat back, scooting until he was resting in a more upright position against the pillows as Steve sat down in the side chair. While both of them respected the dark man for bringing them together as a team with the other Avengers, neither of them could forget their latest encounter with cold, calculating man. The rage that Steve felt had resurfaced, but Tony got to Fury before he could.

"So, the attempted child-killer shows his face." Tony's voice was cold and his eyes shuttered, but he had a half-smile on his face and Steve suppressed a shiver. Something dangerous lurked in his gaze. Steve had read the files assigned to them, even if Tony thought he didn't. He might not have understood the large amount of astrophysics talk that Tony and Bruce wallowed in, but he did understand people. Reading comic books, and then drawing them later, Steve had an intimate understanding of the human condition. Being in the Great War had only brought him closer to understanding how people worked- their dreams and ambitions… their fears. Knowing even a little bit about what Tony had done through in his life before Iron Man, with being a weapons manufacturer and then having those same weapons used against you, and having survived to become stronger; Steve knew there were only a couple ways to go after being a prisoner of war. And hidden underneath the sneering and the joking and the science, there was _this_- raw edges of pain that would fester a violent protection of those weaker than himself. The wound that would never heal. Steve knew. He had one like in his own heart.

Fury's one eye narrowed and he stalked slowly into the room and Steve couldn't figure out which one seemed more dangerous at that moment- the tall, scowling Director or the bed-ridden, sharp-eyed genius. In the shadow of the hospital room, both were akin to the larger-than-life mythological monsters of vengeance, glaring at each other from across the bed.

Fury said nothing, simply coming to stand beside the guard rail. The silence this time wasn't companionable, but thick with a ringing in Steve's ears and the throb of his quickly beating heart felt through his whole body. "You're alive after all."

Tony's shark grin widened, but his brown eyes were slits that looked black in the shadow of his Arc. "You're a bastard after all." He turned to Steve, smiling in a way that unnerved the Captain. "Who would have thought?"

Fury snorted. "His name is Harry." There was a long pause and Steve felt like he could see the cogs turning in the brain of the genius as all the emotions left. "He's most likely five years old. We've has known of him since 2008."

Tony didn't question his words, and Fury didn't offer up any more information.

"And?" Tony prompted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tell me why you think Harry is dangerous." His glare deepened. "Or at least more dangerous than a man wielding a gun with deadly intent in a room filled with teddy bears and stuffed Snidget's that had been locked from the outside."

Fury straightened his posture to glare even more fiercely down at Tony, but the other man didn't even flinch. "You think that Loki is bad? Killing off nearly a hundred people in three days?" Fury's voice raised and he flung his arm out in sudden anger. "Harry- the kid who is _not _a child- was found in October of 2010, in the middle of a crater filled with bodies and blood as the only survivor to a massacre of a secret society in Britain. We thought him just a survivor of a serial-killing of the Magicals, maybe by a splinter faction within their own society. But it was the kid. _That _is why he's so dangerous."

"Wait, you're basing all of this on an _assumption?_ What makes you so sure that a three-year old child killed off all those people? Video evidence? DNA? _He's just a kid, Fury!_"

"He killed my wife!" Fury hissed. The loathing in that voice took Steve back, and Tony lost his glare for a second.

"Let me give you a rundown of the history of the Magicals. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was murdered by a supernatural being in 2007. The older Harry Potter was a recluse since the last war of the Magicals, but during his life he was known as the most magically powerful man in the world because he was the master of three artifacts collectively known as the Deathly Hallows- some sort of items that Death presumably granted with magical power. He could not have died by anyone's hand, but a being not from this world.

"Three months later and a child shows up- no mother, no father known in the human database, but looks exactly like the Harry Potter who had just died. The Magicals believe that he is their lost savior, unable to be taken by Death and welcome him back into their society!" Fury's usually calm expression twisted up into a sneer for a millisecond, before he forcibly calmed himself down.

"He should have been locked up the minute it was known he was brought back to life. All of that concentrated power locked up inside a kid with Death itself whispering into his ears… What did they think would happen when the child had the means to destroy all of them with a word? A kid who was the Master of Death." A cut off laugh and a pause.

"Just like that, ten thousand people living in the world killed- all of the Magicals everywhere _gone_. Because they based their hope on a child who is too dangerous to be alive."

"Look, I'm not saying I believe you about all of this magical people stuff or understand your reason for keeping him locked up here, but have you thought he's just like the mutants at Professor Xavier's school? That it's just some power?"

"Maybe he just can't control it? His ability, I mean." Steve interjected.

"He saved _Stark, _didn't he?"

That stopped Tony dead.

"I _actually_ died?" He turned to the Captain, who looked studiously away. "I thought you were exaggerating!"

"Do you think I would joke like that? It's your life!"

"Gentlemen," Fury cut in, removing his hand from his ear. "They found the Tesseract. And Loki." Fury's eyes found Tony's and the brunet cursed.

"Let me guess," Iron Man muttered, and swung himself out of bed. "Full-tilt diva that Loki is…" he sighed and accepted Steve's help as they walked quickly out of the room. "There goes my tower. That son of a bitch."

AN: Part Two will be up soon. Should I replace this chapter with the whole of Chapter Five, or add a Chapter Six (which would actually be Chapter Five, Part Two)?


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